21 Banks And Credit Unions That Accept Remote Check
Deposits

Why trek to local bank to deposit a check when you can slap it on a scanner or use your smartphone’s camera to upload it directly to your bank? Even though it still scares most of the bigger banks, remote deposit checking represents the future of consumer banking. Inside, a list of twenty-one credit unions and banks that are ready to save you a trip to the bank and the hassle of deposit slips.

Addison Avenue Credit Union (scans)

Alliant Credit Union (scans)

Boeing Employees Credit Union (scans)

Chase Bank (iPhone)

Digital Federal Credit Union (scans/Android/iPhone)

Everbank (scans)

First Command Bank (scans)

First Internet Bank of Indiana (scans)

The Golden 1 Credit Union (scans)

Hanscom Federal Credit Union (scans)

NASA Federal Credit Union (scans)

PenFed Credit Union (scans)

Penn State Employees Credit Union (scans)

Randolph Brooks Federal Credit Union (scans)

Sharon Credit Union (scans)

Service Credit Union (scans)

Summit Bank (scans)

Texas Security Bank (scans)

USAA Bank (scans/Android/iPhone)

Vystar Credit Union (scans)

WV United Federal Credit Union (iPhone)

Setting up remote deposit checking doesn’t mean losing your existing bank account since almost all credit unions allow customers to electronically transfer funds back to a traditional account. Just keep an eye out for membership requirements and other restrictions. USAA, for example, despite being one of our favorite financial institutions, limits its remote deposit feature to members with a military connection.

Comments

Edit Your Comment

Having just moved to a new state without any Chase locations I just had to deal with the whole mailing a deposit thing. Two phone calls to customer service and never once did anyone mention the iPhone scan for checks. Not once. That could have made my life a lot easier.

Agreed. I used to keep a B of A account for local deposits. When they came out with the Android app, I dumped B of A. Despite being an insurance agent with access to great rates through my employer, all of my insurance is through USAA; they rock.

I haven’t had my banking through them for a while since I have a stellar local credit union, but if I ever move away I’ll definitely be going back to using them. I use them right now for my car insurance and one CC and couldn’t be happier.

Scanning of checks is nothing new to banks. They have been doing this for decades. What do you think happens when you deposit your check? A teller actually enters the information manually? Hell no, it goes to a main check processing facility in your area (not even your bank) and is scanned. This new technology that is now available to the home user only takes some of the cost of processing checks off of the banks and puts it on the user, while making things far easier for the user. I use USAA android scan and it’s amazing. Before you get too worried about it though I will say this. The USAA app does enable your GPS, so I assume that when a check is submitted, were it to be a fraudulent check, they would know right where to send the authorities.

My nearest bank branch location is about a 1 minute walk from where I work, so no real need for this, but I’d use it otherwise. Alliant (high interest checking) and Penfed (rewards card) are already on my credit union to do list.

Finally, the U.S starts to get close to the way banking apparently works in a lot of Europe. I’ve seen so many things on the internet where a U.S person mentions a ‘check’ and someone from Holland goes, “what is a check? We only use electronic transfers here!”

(ING Direct lets you make ACH transactions directly to other people. When they started, I believe the person had to get an email and log in somewhere themselves but now you put in the info and it just goes.)

Most big banks actually already do this. BofA, Wells Fargo, etc have ATM’s that scan the checks and no longer have any human interaction. The difference is they scan them in. With banking now able to clear a check over night, I don’t see this as much of an issue for banks. Maybe don’t be so eager to open an account for everyone that walks by while offeringthem a credit card and home re-fi.

It’s a nonsensical jab at the iPhone, I suppose. Funny, considering that all of the professionals I know carry iPhones. Maybe it was in support of Blackberries? I know one or two that have them, but it’s usually because they’re tethered to their employers at all times.

I guess you’re right. I’ve heard people make fun of iPhones, but I’d never heard that particular insult. Most folks I know who have them work in my industry and make about what I make. The comment just struck me as odd.

Greater Texas FCU in Austin also does check scanning. A credit union near my apartment (Amplify Credit Union) doesn’t do the scanning, but you can enter the deposit through their online banking, have access to the funds immediately (if you’re approved for the service) and you get an envelope to mail the actual check in. I reckon it’s only a matter of time before they adopt the check imaging of other Institutions.

My CU does something similar where you can post funds ahead of depositing the check. I’ve never used it, being that just about every ATM will let me deposit a check without any additional charge. (I live 2+ hours from my credit union, but I can use other CU’s ATM’s for free withdrawls/deposits).

Just to correct your list, PSECU is actually Pennsylvania State Employees CU (employees of the PA state government). While Penn State (the university) employees have access to PSECU, the wording you use makes it sound like it’s a CU specifically for employees of PSU.

USAA also allows cheques to be sent through the mail. The scans take effect pretty much immediately, whereas the mail method does take a few days. But through dozens of cheques that I’ve sent through the mail over the years I’ve never had one not make it.

This is one of the best features EVER for a bank. I get checks from family and my job doesn’t do direct deposit so I get a check from them too. It’s so nice to just go home and scan your check in. With checks being transferred digitally now, I don’t see why all banks are clamoring to do this.

I keep hoping that my online bank will make the leap into the 21st century and start accepting scanned checks. I understand that there are some security concerns, but one would assume that banks go through a validation process to decrease the risk of outright fraud for each account (i.e. checking social security numbers, credit reports, etc).

I use Alliant Credit Union. They are great. You can scan and deposit checks from home.

They also have a free checking account with free checks and a rate of 1.5%. That is better than any other major bank. Alliant also has a huge ATM network of over 80,000 ATMs. That is more than any other major bank. Literally, I get paid hundreds of dollars in interest every year compared to what I would have gotten if I had left my money at Chase. I wish I had switched to Alliant earlier.

Is there a special circumstance to using this with BofA? I don’t even have a BofA branch in my state and I have been depositing checks this way for almost 2 years with my home scanner – I haven’t seen any phone apps for it though…

Hmmm….haven’t had to cash a check in years, with direct deposit over here, so I’m a bit confused. After you scan the check in, do you ever have to mail/turn in the physical check? Do you just chuck it? The bank never needs to verify the scan?